Soudabeh SabourPrpf. C. BrownEnglish 1BJuly 18, 2013

“Commentary on Rachel Tapper’s Rhetorical Argument”

                                           “It is definitely broken but I am not fixing it”

            Rachel has written a rhetorical argument on Christopher Hitchens’ article of “Believe me, It is torture.”  Her argument starts with a title that conveys her idea that Hitchens has brought about a problem but he did not end up with any solution. Actually I like this types of articles that the writer gives the readers the chance to think and decide at the end, and does not try to dictate his own idea to be accepted, so the article is not one sides. I think this style has more effect, since it makes me, as a reader to think, and does not discourage me from reading it all if I see a dictation tone.

            Rachel believes that Hitchens has been successful in his article on “ waterboarding”. This can be understood in her thesis statement when she states that he has used different types of argument appeals under various strategies to convince her, and she has found and mentioned separately those strategies.

            Her paragraphs start with  a good topic sentence that leads to the rest of the paragraph in the same direction clarifying one strategy of the rhetorical argument. For example, in her second paragraph she named the two ways of Logos being used, unspoken assumption and use of evidence. She believes that unspoken assumption is his idea that “ Waterboarding” is a torture and he rejects it, but he did not directly mention this in his article. He also used evidence and testimony by spending time with the real victims and those who have seen and experienced it like Nance. She brings a quote from him about the evening he spend with Nance that proves her claim.

            She goes on by mentioning the strategies of ethos in Hitchens’ article. She thinks that his experience in Waterboarding is a strong ethos by making him a first-hand experienced, rather than someone who sits behind a desk and writes critics about something.  Individually she mentioned successful examples of ethos he used, like knowledge, fairness and his ability to connect with the readers. Although he thinks it is barbarian to do Waterboarding, but at the same time he shows his respect to veterans and those that sacrifices their lives for us to be safe.

            She supports her claim all throughout her essay that Hitchens has been successful in his rhetorical argument on Waterboaring as a torture and mentions the best use of different strategies he has used to achieve his claim.